Satinder S. Malhi is a second generation Sikh-American and the proud son of immigrant parents.   He has worked on a wide range of civil rights issues impacting the Sikh community since 9/11 including workplace discrimination, airport screening procedures, school bullying, inmate grooming standards and more. His early advocacy efforts on behalf of the Sikh community eventually sparked a strong desire to learn more about public policy formation within the California State Legislature.  

In 2004, he was admitted as one of only eighteen individuals selected from a nationwide applicant pool to participate in the highly prestigious Capital Fellows Program, becoming the first Sikh ever to be selected.    

In the years since, Satinder has worked on a wide range of public policy and community issues including higher education, labor, environment, consumer protection, local government and more in his role as a senior aide to several California state elected officials, two of whom have since gone on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Following his time in the legislature, Satinder went on to serve as a public higher education advocate with the California State University system, the nation’s largest public four-year university system.   

Over the course of the past two decades, Satinder has volunteered on various Democratic campaigns at the local, state, and national level. He previously served on the Executive Board of the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County and is a co-founder and past President of the Contra Costa Young Democrats. In addition, he has served as a volunteer and community advisor for numerous Sikh organizations, including the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Sikh Coalition and United Sikhs. 

He currently represents the residents of District 3 on the Martinez City Council.  He is the first Sikh-American and Asian-Pacific Islander member to serve on the Council in its nearly 150 year history.